Letting Them In
by obsessedatopia
Summary: Missing scenes of Callie, Stef and Lena regarding the Robert Quinn events. Originally one shot of Callie telling them about her contact with Robert Quinn but adding more scenes based on requests/ideas in line with how story develops. Probably will be some Jude. Spoilers up to current point in season.
1. Letting Them In

**Helloooo friends! Here is another "missing scene", technically. I had an urge to write a one shot tonight so I did a bit of asking around with my good friends on Twitter. Had a few suggestions for ideas, all of which I will probably get to eventually, but this one suggested by _Lacorra_ was the easiest to throw together - thanks to her and everyone for their suggestions. Thanks to _Shannon_ and _Lauren _too for volunteering to play along with helping me come up with a scenario too! There was also a bit of a mini-challenge involved with fitting in some particularly "English" words and those of you involved know who you are. Consider it completed. It's un-beta'd so forgive any mistakes but I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Another girl. Can you believe it?" Lena smiled, her eyes glowing at the swirls of black and grey that she held on the small photo in her hand.

"Well at least our two will be out of the house by the time we have another teenage girl vying for the bathroom." Stef chuckled.

"What do you think she'll be like?" Lena mused, barely even registering that there was anything in the room other than the perfect little piece of her heart that she held in her hand.

"Well if she takes after her Mama, she'll be beautiful, smart, caring, loving..." Stef continued to reel off the compliments as she moved forward nuzzling kisses onto Lena's neck, provoking a small giggle from her wife before she pushed her chin away and met her lips with a kiss.

"And I guess if she's like Timothy then we'll have to make sure we make a formal agreement on what chores we expect her to do before we give her any allowance." Her voice dropped into a deadpan growl as Lena rolled her eyes, her mouth dropping into a stoney frown.

"But hey, maybe she'll come out with an interesting vocabulary. Uttering words like _buffoon_ and _chomp..._or _pish posh._" Stef mimicked the best English accent she could as Lena shook her head with a quite chortle. "First of all I'm pretty sure that not all Brits talk like that, Timothy certainly doesn't. And secondly could we maybe enjoy this moment without thinking of that man and his stupid genes?" She added nonchalant with a hint of spite as Stef nodded elaborately, taking the picture off her for her own turn to fawn over it.

"That sounds good to me baby, what about you, huh? Little Lena?" She spoke close to her wife's belly, flopping down onto her own as Lena giggled, pulling up her shirt so she could get closer. "What do you think of this photo, huh? Is it your good side or are you going to be like your sister and have to take another twenty before you're happy with it?" She chattered away before they were interrupted by a timid knock at the door. Lena quickly covered up her stomach as Stef raced up to slip the ultrasound away. They had decided to keep the information from the kids for now until they decided exactly how much they were going to share with them and how much they would leave as a surprise.

"Come in." Lena called as soon as the photo was hidden from sight. The door creaked open to reveal a shy looking Callie, her arms tucked behind her back and her body barely poking round the side. In her tight grasp, concealed from view, was the letter that had dominated her thoughts for the better part of two weeks and the force with which she was clasping it a fitting representation of the hold it had had on her mind. It had tossed and turned it, leaving little room for clarity, but finally tonight some whispers of rationale had fought their way through the tangle of insecurity and doubt and convinced her that she could delay this talk no longer.

"Is this a bad time?" She asked, some of those insecurities still making a play to facilitate her backing out. They were quickly stifled however by Stef hopping forward, patting the bed.

"Of course not, honey. Come, sit!" She beamed, her good mood shining through every crease on her face. Forcing her quietening reluctance into submission, Callie crossed over the threshold and edged into the room.

"I was just hoping to talk to you about something." She added as she slipped delicately onto the bed, sitting on the envelope she had been holding behind her back.

"Sure, what's on your mind, babe?" Lena asked kindly as Callie looked between them both. The doubts made a play again as the difficulty of the task seemed to grow before her. She almost felt like she was confessing some dark secret. Would they be mad with her for not telling them? Would they feel offended that she was wanting to look into this other family - had she already begun the alienation by waiting so long to tell them? Stef's forehead was creasing slightly, making her realise that the pause would not be helping matters.

"Is there any progress with the abandonment papers?" she asked curiously, hoping it may give her a segue into the topic at hand. Although she'd intended it to come off conversational, the hesitation had squandered any hopes of that, not help by the suspicious quiver in her voice.

Stef and Lena looked to each other, Callie's guilty demeanour beginning to make them nervous.

"Uhm, not yet sweets. Marie hasn't given us an update for a couple of days but she'll tell us when Robert's lawyers have got back in touch. They like taking their time, I think. I wonder if they're being paid hourly." Stef half sniggered hoping it may ease what seemed to be a growing angst around the room. Callie returned the comment with half a smile but not content with its sincerity, Stef placed herself next to her daughter and gently squeezed her knee, catching her gaze and gently urging her to continue.

"Are you worried about them?" Lena asked, verbalising the gentle concern in Stef's eyes.

"No, it's not that." Callie gulped, twitching the paper beneath her thigh. She saw that the twitch had not gone unnoticed by Lena, and as she saw her forehead wrinkle looking down at the cause, she decided that it was best to just come out with it before she was asked.

"I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to go and visit him and his family. Robert Quinn, I mean." she spoke gently as she felt Stef's touch inadvertently tense. Her mouth stuttered soundlessly as she passed a look of surprise to Lena, her expression almost equally as lost for words.

Hearing the silence more daunting than any of the responses she had dreaded, Callie quickly continued.

"It doesn't matter if you don't want me to. I mean, it's probably a bad idea, right? You know, I shouldn't have suggested it." she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, trying to move off but Stef quickly jumped in, the reaction being enough to shake her out of her silence.

"Wait, no - look that's understandable. Just...let's just hold on for a second, sweets."

"I'm sorry." Callie quickly replied. "I didn't mean to blindside you with it -"

"No, no." Lena now spoke placing her hands down flat on the bed with a steady pat. "We're glad you came to us with this. It's important that we know what you're thinking. This isn't an easy situation and we're happy that you feel you can talk to us. We want you to talk to us."

"Yes. Mama's absolutely right." Stef patted Callie's knee. Her voice had now gathered a firm confidence even though her body still shuffled with unease. "It's completely understandable that you would consider wanting to meet him, and ultimately it's your decision - that's what we've said all along."

Callie sucked her lips together, partly reassured and partly feeling even more guilty over what she was now going to have to admit. That is, if she did have to admit it. She subconsciously flinched the paper deeper under her leg. Did she really have to give them the full details? Maybe she could just pretend like she had done with Donald...though in the end she had admitted that to them anyway - what's more, she didn't _want_ to lie to them about this. They were right, she did feel she could come to them, even if the process of doing so still took a little time.

"The thing is - " She spoke without even realising the words were coming out. "I sort of already have met him." As soon as she finished the sentence she could see a shift in both looks. Lena's seemed to enlarge before they looked over to Stef's but those were fixed on Callie, narrowing but filling with concern.

"What uhm...what do you mean you've already met him?" She finally asked, clearing her through through the first couple of words as if the shock had sucked the moisture out of her mouth.

"He came to visit me...at work." Callie explained, keeping her tone steady but biting her lips together awaiting the backlash. She could see that the concern in Stef's eyes was turning swiftly into anger. This matched the chill which now seemed to grasp her voice.

"At work?" She replied sternly. "He approached you at your workplace?"

"Honey." Lena warned her, sensing the ramp in her voice. Stef snapped her head to her wife, her lips poised to continue to express her outrage but she closed them gently instead and moved off the bed sweeping her arms across her chest and pacing away.

"How many times exactly did he come to visit you?" She asked, only barely managing to suppress the fury. It was clear that it wasn't Callie she was angry at, but it didn't stop it from making her uncomfortable as her whole body readjusted into a more closed up pose.

"A few, I guess. I'm not sure - as soon as he found out I knew who he was he stopped coming."

"So you told him you knew who he was? Wait, how did you even find out it was him?" Stef replied, the pace of her questions a worthy replacement for volume in still expressing how unsettling she found the information.

"Callie." Lena took control of the conversation being able to know when Stef's protective instincts may be clouding her tactfullness. With the opportunity to adjust her focus, Callie looked sheepishly into Lena's much calmer face. There was still a dominance of worry but it was clear she was at least doing a better job of hiding it than Stef was.

"Can you tell us exactly what happened? We just need to process the stages of this. It may be important."

"Important for what?" Callie replied immediately, now suddenly feeling nervous. "I mean, it can't affect the adoption - can it?" She wasn't sure how this could have a negative impact but suddenly her head filled with permutations - after all when did anything in her life not complicate things further? Seeing a sudden shift in Callie's confidence, Lena placed a hand gently her knee. The gesture somehow had the added effect of calming Stef as she realised her anguish wasn't doing anyone any favours. She took a deep breath and put her anger aside, returning to the bed with as supportive a look as she could muster. The mixture of reassurance was enough to clear Callie's head as she rubbed her temple and collected the timeline in her mind.

"A few weeks ago this guy started coming into the restaurant a lot, leaving pretty noticeable tips."

"Of course he did." Stef muttered cynically before being silenced with a look from Lena.

"I talked to him a couple of times, he seemed nice. I guess he took a bit of an interest so I remembered his face, then when Robert didn't show up for the DNA test I got curious. I mean, it's not that I hadn't been before, but I just didn't want to know, you know? I wasn't sure I wanted to have a face to the name but then I was so...kind of..._hurt_ that he didn't show..." her voice froze briefly as she awoke the latent feelings she had put aside. In all of the drama since, she had barely thought about that day and the curiosity that had engulfed her. It had somehow all shifted to the emotions tied to this not being just a name or a face, and without realising it her entire perception had changed. It was the personification of the name that had suddenly raised the stakes and had brought her to this position right now. Would delving deeper into that change things yet again? She shook her head realising she was going off track and tried to re-focus, clearing her throat as she looked down to her knees.

"So I searched his name and there he was. The man from the café." She finished quickly and flippantly as if to disguise the lapse in her composure. She ended it with a humourless laugh through her nose, once again haplessly hoping her misfortune would finally turn around and let her in on the joke.

"That was when he gave me this." She nervously pulled out the envelope she had been concealing and held it out to Lena before dipping her head back down. She wasn't sure she wanted to see the reaction considering how well the earlier revelation had gone down.

Lena skimmed the letter before handing the picture to Stef who took it with as quiet a sigh as she could produce. She didn't need to read the letter to figure out who the picture must be of. The resemblance to Callie was overwhelming.

"So you have a half sister." Stef commented as Callie replied with a slow nod.

"Sophia." She whispered as Lena finished reading over the letter and handed it to Stef who replaced her glasses to study it. Her face was fixed in a grimace as she scrutinised every word. Callie watched them both carefully, conscious only to each flicker of their face and to the quiet throbbing in the vein in her neck.

"If you need time to think about..." She hesitated, trying to interpret what their response was indicating.

"No, no." Lena replied before placing down the photo and clasping her hands over Callie's knee.

"We said we would support what you wanted to do throughout this process..." She assured her as Stef quickly nodded in agreement, swallowing back her discontent as she saw the desperation in Callie's eyes.

"Yep, Mama's right." She whispered, placing her hand on Callie's arm. "I can't say that I'm thrilled about him making contact with you..." she added, her voice dropping back down to a gravelly contempt as she looked back down to the letter. "But ultimately if you think it will help you to meet them then we will see what we can arrange. _With_ you, though. No more secrets, please."

"I know, I promise." Callie agreed, the guilt in her voice sneaking out. "I just really didn't know how to bring it up." She shrugged. "I guess I was waiting to figure out what I wanted before having to ask."

"We understand that honey, but we really don't want you to feel you have to figure these things out alone. Two weeks is a long time to sit on something like this. We're not going to try and influence you, we promise we only want to support you, not dictate."

"I know -" Callie quickly affirmed. "I know." She bit down on her lips before shrugging a smile towards them. "I guess I'm still just not used to that." She admitted quietly as both of her Moms acknowledged the truth with an understanding cock of their heads.

"And I don't want you to think that this is because...well you know, because this isn't enough." This time Stef was first to jump in, thinking back to a former promise she had made. She shuffled forward, encompassing Callie in her arms and pulling her tightly in.

"Hey now, we've talked about this. This isn't about us, remember? You don't worry about us - only you, yes?" She rubbed her daughter's arm with her hand as she planted a kiss on the side of her head. Callie nodded with a smile before allowing herself to snuggle closer into Stef's side. She felt herself fall into it willingly, indulging the comfort and warmth that trickled down her body.

"You gonna leave me all alone in here, Mama?" Stef flicked her head to Lena proving that she had successfully managed to channel her protective instincts into a healthier emotion. As Lena joined in the hug on Callie's other side she ran a hand down Stef's back in a form of acknowledgement for her efforts. They squeezed tightly, enjoying the security as much as Callie for a few moments before Stef's eyes wandered over to the discarded letter and photo on the bed. She gulped down nervously but tried to put those panics aside and closed her eyes, focussing on the embrace. As Stef's eyes closed, Callie's opened, the wash of relief still prominent. She wasn't sure what the next step would be or what the energy was that was somehow managing to draw her to these new faces. It contrasted against the powerful force of love encasing her body both figuratively and, right now, literally - but this in itself was proof she had managed to let one family in.

Maybe for the next step she just had to accept that letting another family scratch her surface wouldn't have to be a bad thing either.

**I hope you enjoyed! I would love a review if you have the time, but if not then I appreciate your reading anyway :)**


	2. Keeping Them Close

**Hi guys! This was going to be a one shot but I had a couple of requests so decided to add. I have 1 more chapter planned after this but if anyone has any other thoughts I'm always happy to consider :) Thanks to _thesameguest _for tossing a couple of ideas with me for this. Also thanks to those of you who requested this extra scene and thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! Enjoy!**

* * *

As soon as Callie closed the door behind her, Stef and Lena relaxed into their less guarded feelings, Lena nursing her head into her hands and Stef flopping backwards onto the bed.

After a moment of silence, Lena moved her head round, still resting her right hand among her curls but stretching out the other to rustle Stef's arm.

"You OK?" she asked as Stef scoffed. She propped herself up onto her elbows and turned to her wife, her face incensed.

"What kind of a man stalks a sixteen year old girl at her workplace? Actually, come to think of it, how did he even find out where she worked? What, does he have a P.I.? How much else does he know?" the anger was firmly back now that Callie's absence was there to fill.

"Honey, it's not like these are normal circumstances..."

"Oh come on Lena, no matter how abnormal the circumstances are that's not an excuse. You don't get a low jack on a sixteen year old girl."

"Says the woman who tracks her kids' phones..." Lena smirked, but Stef wasn't in the mood for humour. Ignoring the comment she sat up briskly, her hands now bracing her upright.

"You know these lawyers like to take their sweet time but clearly they're not spending any of it advising this numbnut. He's in legal proceedings with Callie, not making contact is just basic smarts. If this goes to court and -"

"Woah, Stef, honey." Lena calmed her rant before it could escalate as Stef huffed out the remainder of her frustration, the touch on her arm calming her.

"I'm not happy about this." She affirmed sternly, as if there had been any doubt.

"About what?" Lena replied with a much more relaxed, but equally firm, tone. "About Callie having met him or about her wanting to meet him at all?" The look in her eyes bordered on accusing, the warning clear to Stef who took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"OK, I get your point and no, of course not the...you know, wanting to meet him. But I can't say I feel easy about it." She defended herself knowing that her hesitation wasn't completely unfounded.

"I can't say I'm happy about this either, for all the reasons you've said, but at the same time we have to do what's best for Callie and honestly, I think that is letting her fulfil whatever yearning she is having. Even if it makes us uncomfortable."

"Yes, and you know I agree..." Stef's voice trailed off. "I just wish that this hadn't all happened behind our backs. It's shady."

"Possibly. Or it could just be human." Lena rationalised. "The judge said that there was a chance that Robert knew nothing about her. He overstepped the mark, definitely, but can you honestly say that you wouldn't have immediately used your resources to size up a child you never knew you had out there?" Lena raised her eyebrows towards Stef who opened her mouth to spew back some forlorn denial but it quickly materialised into nothing more than air and abandoned excuses.

"Well I wouldn't be reckless enough to lose them in the first place." she grumbled back bitterly as a compromise, provoking a small smile from her wife. Seeing she was enjoying reading her a little too much, Stef immediately sprung onto the playful offensive. "And I certainly wouldn't have given them a letter from their long lost sister. Talk about overstepping physical and emotional boundaries. What about you, anyway? You may be queen of rationale but I don't believe for a second that you're not nervous about what effect this will have on Callie."

"You're right, I am. I'm also worried about what effect this will have on Jude." she added seriously, letting her own insecurity shine through for a moment.

"I didn't even think of him." Stef whispered, covering her face with her palms before brushing her hair backwards with a sigh.

"I mean Callie, for the first time, suddenly has a whole part of her life that doesn't include him...not to mention a part which, for all intents and purposes, could be seen as an equivalent to his role." As she developed her thoughts her face grew even more concerned. "And now they're already technically separated by the adoption...I mean we saw how that affected Jude that night Callie was taken…"

"Look, we'll handle it." Stef assured Lena confidently, patting her leg as soon as she paused. It was as if the admission had shifted their roles, Stef stepping up on seeing Lena's calmness wavering.

"I'll talk with Marie tomorrow and see what we can arrange with the Quinns. Of course, if we have to wait for the lawyers to process it then we may as well just tell him to meet us at her graduation." she joked, widening her eyes.

"Well considering Robert invited her, I would imagine he is eager for her to come as soon as possible." Lena reasoned, scooping back her hair and letting it spring down again as she processed.

"Funny that." Stef commented. "That certain things like the papers seem to involve every lawyer and his dog and only get exchanged via sloth-mail during rush hour traffic, but as soon as it's something Robert wants he apparently gets onto it two weeks before it's even been suggested."

"Stef." Lena warned.

"What? You don't think it's a little suspicious?"

"I..._think_ that we don't know the details yet." She reasoned with a shrug.

"Well whatever his game is I'm going to figure it out. We're going to protect our daughter."

She added briskly, trying to keep up her firm tone, but there was a glimmer of insecurity that hadn't been there before this latest revelation. Lena picked up on the quiver on the final word in particular and wondered whether it was really Callie's safety and mentality Stef saw Robert as a threat to or whether it was something else which, up to this point at least, had been a unanimous desire. After a moment of them both trying to fight that particular reflection, Stef pushed herself off the bed. "I think I'm going to go check on the kids before bed. Do you want anything while I'm up and about? I can bring you some crackers or chips. Ice cream? Mustard?" she joked, trying to get her mind off things as Lena shook her head with a smile.

"I think we're good for tonight." she replied. "But here..." she beckoned Stef approach as she obliged, working her way around the bed as Lena took her hands.

"This adoption will go through, OK?" she assured her, looking deep into her eyes as Stef nodded.

She took a moment to breathe out deeply before leaning forward and giving Lena three short kisses on her forehead. Both women closed their eyes before Stef freed one hand from Lena's to stroke her wife's cheek. They locked eyes again with loving smiles before Stef growled gently with a wink and turned away to the door.

* * *

Deciding to check in on the boys first she poked her head around the door and quickly paused from what she was about to say.

"You're going down, blue buddy. _Pfffftttttchhhhhhwaaasshhhhhhhhh!"_ Jesus made the sound effects clasping a GI Joe doll in his hand and batting it against a snapped off Rock 'em Sock 'em figure.

"Noooo! You will never defeat me. Dalazar granted me _immortality_!" Jude growled with a forced low pitched voice, ending with a louder croak followed by some sound effects as it was now Jesus time to fein his competitor being crushed. Although she was enjoying the spectacle Stef couldn't avoid clearing her throat as both boys swung round, embarrassed. Jesus, so shaken he jumped in his place sending GI flying to the ground.

"Mom!"

"How long have you been standing there?" Jude asked, mortified, but not nearly as much as Jesus.

"Hard to say, I think I'm in some kind of time pocket that just cast me back about 5 years." She teased poking her tongue out at Jesus.

"We were just...uhm..." He stuttered, looking around desperately.

"I found them at the bottom of Jesus' closet..."Jude explained.

"Yeah, I mean...it's not like we play with them or anything. We were just doing it for fun. Kinda...for a joke, I mean." He shuffled anxiously as Stef humoured them by nodding intently with her arms folded. "Because Jude has never played with toys like these before!" He blurted out in addition as the idea came to him, even though it was met by a slightly offended look from Jude.

"Of course. It's not that you love them or miss playing with them or anything..." Stef teased, wandering over and rescuing GI off the floor.

"He wanted to as much as me." Jude shrugged but it was quickly silenced by a "Dude!" in a whispered scold from his brother.

"Well of course he did, he's my little action man!" She began to babble with baby talk as she cupped Jesus cheeks kissed his forehead as he rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, playtime's over boys. You should start getting ready for bed. Good you're in the nostalgia mood though because we're cleaning out the garage this weekend, remember?"

"What? You were serious?" Jesus immediately groaned as Jude grabbed his pyjamas.

"Yes, we were serious. Everybody's helping, and you'll do it with a smile, too!" She pointed as he rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair.

"Fine." He mumbled back as Stef shook her head, snorting out a laugh and giving his head one more kiss.

"Now, bed." She patted him harshly before moving over to Jude who hopped forward, wrapping his arms around her.

"G'night Mom." He squeezed. It was a habit he had seemed to have gotten into after the adoption. She wasn't sure how long it would last, it was already more than what either of her other boys would have done at Jude's age, but she knew how important the attachment was to him now that he finally had it.

"Goodnight, baby." She kissed his head, savouring it for a moment before he pulled away. He smiled up at her and immediately she felt her heart sink a little thinking about what Lena had said about Callie. This really was going to be a challenge to explain, for both of them. As much as she told Callie not to worry about him, and as much as she didn't want her to, she couldn't pretend that it wasn't inevitable. Easing her fears with her most natural instinct, she stroked his cheek. Luckily he couldn't sense the reason behind it and she was able to hide the forlorn look in her eyes with a brighter smile. As Jude pulled away, unaware of the moment that Stef was having, he moved off towards the bathroom, Stef watching him go and biting down on her bottom lip.

"You OK, Mom?" Jesus asked, seeing her hesitation.

"Hmm? I..." She rocked back and forth to him before quickly shaking the thoughts out of her head and slapping her palms onto her thighs.

"Oh, yes. Yes! All good." She nodded confidently as her voice husked in denial.

"Night, baby." She added before striding out. She poked her head in on Brandon who was finishing off his homework but promised to head off as soon as he was done before finally hitting the girls' room. She had been putting it off till last as she wasn't sure what state Callie would be in. Sure, she left their room taking it in her stride but Stef knew that with the topic at hand, emotions could swing. If she was struggling with this, she could only imagine what it would be like for her daughter.

"Knock, knock -" She spoke as she entered seeing Mariana sat in bed with her phone out.

"Oh hey Mom." She smiled.

"Hey Miss Thing..." She acknowledged before turning to see Callie's empty bed. That she half expected too. "Callie downstairs?" She asked, moving to sit with her younger daughter.

"Yeah, well. I guess. She went a little while ago." She shrugged. Obviously she hadn't come back in after the talk she had had in their bedroom.

"OK, well put that off for now, right?" Stef kissed Mariana's head as she barely broke her gaze.

"Uh-huh..." She replied generically, clearly having not listened to the instruction.

Stef shooked her head and put her fingers on the screen tapping it lightly.

"I mean it. Or I'll text you a selfie every minute until you go to bed." She threatened as Mariana finally looked up with an eye-roll, placing it to the side. As soon as she'd bid her goodnight, she could hear Mariana salvage the phone but tonight wasn't the time for that battle.

She paused for a moment at the top of the stairs taking a deep breath and giving her time to debate whether she should chase Callie to bed or whether she should grant her the space. If she had chosen to be somewhere other than her room she was clearly wanting time alone to think - and right now could Stef provide her with the reassurance she knew she would want to give her? She shook the doubt out of her head. Of course she had to go to her. They were in this as a unit, even if their role in the unit was to sit ready as backup; a backup that sometimes had to anticipate the call before it came.

* * *

Stef found Callie lying back on the sofa, picture and letter in hand and her gaze transfixed. She wondered how many hours she had spent reading over it over the last couple of weeks. The thought caused her heart to hurt a little, wishing that somehow she could just wrap her up in her arms and make it go away.

"Must be strange, huh? Finding there's someone out there who's practically your mini-clone." She spoke softly as Callie turned and quickly jerked the letter down. Her brain had taken a moment to catch up with her instincts and process that it was someone she didn't have to hide it from. As Callie relaxed, Stef gently wandered over and rustled up next to her as Callie drew her knees up to her chest to make room.

"Wyatt thought it was an old picture of me." she replied as Stef snorted out an acknowledgement, not finding that hard to believe. Out of context she was sure she would have thought the same.

"You know it's weird. I always thought I looked like my Mom." she continued quietly. "I mean I guess it's pretty obvious now why I didn't look like Donald..." she shrugged, her tone bordering on satirical. "…but looking at Sophia I guess I must get most of my genes from my Dad." Stef noted the mix of confidence and unease in her words. It was a shift from her earlier references to him, always as Robert Quinn. This had been happening over time the more familiar she grew with the idea, but there was also a new edge of acceptance that she hadn't noticed before. There was still the insecurity however, and part of her wondered if that was now more to do with her proven reluctance to risk anyone coming close, let alone someone who had abandoned her once before. That in itself proved a new level of attachment to him. Stef reached a hand over her daughter's knee, hoping it would remind her that there were some people there who weren't a risk to invest in.

"Well isn't there that Leonardo Da Vinci thing about finding people who look like you attractive?" Stef replied, trying to keep the tone as casual as she could in a reassuring sense of normality.

"Yeah?" she asked, screwing up her forehead.

"Something like that. I remember a late night conversation over a bottle of wine where Lena educated me on it. Unfortunately I cut the talk short by making a joke about how I probably looked more like Mike but I guess there were parts that Lena and I shared." she remembered through a giggle. She had succeeded in relaxing Callie at least for a few easy moments before she looked back down to the picture again. Within seconds her face had returned to its all too familiar contortion of understated anxiety

"I know you don't want me to worry about it…" she began, twitching her hand to her necklace, "but how am I going to tell Jude?" In a way, Stef was glad that Callie's eyes stayed fixed on the picture. It spared her from seeing that the thought was also prevalent on her mind. Breathing softly, she moved her hand from Callie's knees to her arm and squeezed her gently.

"Well we can if you don't want to, sweets. Or we can be with you..."

"No." Callie replied without need for thought. "No, I want this to come from me. Make sure he knows I'm still here, you know? But how do I say it? What if it comes out in a way that he feels like he's been replaced?" she looked up desperate for reassurance as Stef happily obliged.

"I have every faith you will do it perfectly. You just need to speak from your heart, babe. You could never replace Jude, nor would you ever want to. I have no doubt he will know that. I can't promise he may not see it like that right away but I'm not sure you can solve that right away either."

"It already feels like we're on different levels now though, what with the adoption taking so long. I know he is uneasy." She added, Stef almost hearing Lena's words from earlier. Obviously the upheaval and reality of Callie's displacement the night of the hearing had made an impression on all of them.

"Then we'll just have to work together, along with time, to make him feel less uneasy. You're a wonderful sister, Callie. Nothing is going to change how much you love each other. Even if it takes a little time, that will come through, yes?"

Callie nodded with a silent word of agreement, trying to channel every scrap of faith she had into believing it.

Seeing she was still struggling, Stef shook her head gently and stretched across, pulling Callie round.

"Come on, come here." she twisted her to be now snuggling under her arm, the picture still held tightly in her hands and eyeline, even with the adjustment in position. Callie felt the bittersweet irony that this new constant in her thoughts could be the first to uproot the only one she had ever known.

"I can't help but worry as well..." Her voice trailed a little before she abandoned it, but seeing she may be doing so to spare her, Stef urged her on with a "Worry about what, love?"

"Whether the different levels will be permanent. If Robert somehow does stop the adoption and Jude feels even more like we're not in the same family."

"Hey, hey, hey." Stef replied immediately. "This adoption _is_ going through. You are as much a part of this family now as you will be after it anyway, but I tell you this; no matter how many lawyers Robert throws at us he will not take this away from you. Not as long as I have an ounce of breath left in me. Money talks but mamas fight, got it?"

Callie smiled, gratefully, squeezing Stef's knee a little from her swaddled position as Stef wrapped her up tighter. She was swift with her reassurance and determined in her words, but despite that confidence she couldn't prevent the minor skip in her heart. She thought back to her own whispers of fear that Lena had addressed before she had left their room. More than ever she felt an urge to stay as close to the girl as possible, cementing their bond in a way that could never be uprooted.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you before." Stef broke what had turned into another wistful silence outside of her racing thoughts. "I didn't mean to seem angry with you or uncooperative."

"You didn't. It's OK." Callie assured her swiftly, turning her head to look up. "I really shouldn't have waited so long to tell you. Besides, I got way angrier when I found out it was him."

"Yeah?" Stef replied, almost proudly, at the thought of Callie ripping this man apart.

"Well, yeah. Following me like that and talking to me so casually as if none of this was happening? I was pretty mad." she admitted, finally putting the picture down and resting her head closer into Stef's shoulder.

"But that doesn't stop you wanting to know more about him." Stef interpreted from a slight quiver that her voice bad betrayed her with. Callie breathed out through a sigh, punctuating it with an almost silent "Yeah."

"I guess he's still all my answers. And well..." she quickly added with a quick tone shift and another look at Stef. "I mean I need him for all the papers."

"You _do_ need him. You don't need to meet him though. You do understand that?" she double checked, even though she knew Callie didn't need to say anything to admit this wasn't purely bureaucracy.

"I do." she confirmed with a shrug. "I guess I want the answers too. I just have to know what this girl is like."

Stef nodded placing a hand across Callie's forehead, picking up the picture with her other.

"Well she obviously wants to meet you too. Not that I blame her. Who wouldn't?" she shook her body again gently, prompting a small laugh through Callie's nose before she once again drifted back to Jude.

"I'll wait to tell him until we know that it's happening." she mumbled, her mind obviously still tossing and turning, despite her conviction to want to handle it herself.

"You do whatever you think is best, love." Stef kissed her head again, handing her back the photo.

"Thanks." Callie replied, pausing for a moment and turning her head to look into Stef's eyes with passionate gratitude.

"I don't know if I could do this without you and Lena."

Stef's immediate answer was replaced with a grateful smile of her own. The words proved such a miracle of faith that they had longed for from the first time they had met this girl. She converted them in to a stroke back of Callie's hair and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I have every faith that you could, but I'm relieved and blessed that you don't have to." She whispered as Callie gripped her back.

"Now, I think it's time you tried to get some sleep." She added as they pulled apart. That photo, and Sophia, will still be there tomorrow." Stef caressed her cheek gently, relieve that Callie finally nodded and tucked it back into the envelope, giving it just one last glance before she did.

"Goodnight, baby. You know we love you." She gave her another quick hug as Callie nodded back. "I love you too."

Finally she stretched herself off the sofa and headed to the stairs as Stef watched her walk out.

She slumped back against it, clasping the base of her thumbs against her forehead with a heavy-hearted sigh. It was always easier to say these things when her children were by her side; she just hoped it was enough to reassure them when they weren't. That hope, and one that there would never be a time that they were ever too far from there.

**I hope you enjoyed and that it wasn't too long and processy. Would love a review if you have time :)**


	3. Moving Forward Together

**Hi guys! It has taken me a long time to get back to this one but I did get a request from _RL13436 _for seeing Callie and Stef process their visit to the Quinns so that is what this chapter is. It's mainly just Stef/Callie talking through their thoughts/feelings with each other so if you're not into processy then it may not be your thing!**

**It jumps a little from the previous chapter as picks up after Quinn visit but really these are all pretty self-contained anyway. I've had a some requests for tackling Jude's mutism and it's likely I will add a chapter once that storyline has been resolved on the show, but I want to see their thought process first before tackling it. Also, I posted a _Fostering Fun_ chapter yesterday for anyone who wants some fluff from young twins/Brandon & Moms.**

**Thanks to _TheTBone _for reading over and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Callie stared blankly at her surroundings, somehow absorbed in them while simultaneously ignorant of any detail. It had been relatively silent since leaving the Quinns' house, she had walked a few paces in front of Stef and Stef had left her that way, just in case. Callie hadn't been_ avoiding_ talking, her mind was just so full of thoughts that she had barely noticed that she wasn't. Every outward concept since she had stepped out of the house had been a blur, in fact it remained a blur until Stef's voice finally pulled her back to the scene. It was only then she registered they'd actually left a good five minutes earlier.

"So – what did you think of Sophia?" She had asked, ever blunt and straight to the point – a trait that, in a way, Callie was grateful for. It allowed her to be flippant and not have to work up to the thoughts in her mind. A pathway to say whatever it was she was thinking rather than worry about approach.

"Sweet." She smiled, turning to Stef with a wince in the light that was streaking to catch her eyes. "Kinda young, you know? A bit naïve, but very sweet."

Stef chuckled lightly to herself. "She seemed very enthusiastic – as if she was scouting for a role model."

"Well I don't know if she would find that in me, but I'm flattered." Callie giggled back in her self-deprecating manner that Stef simply shook her head to.

"I hope you're just being modest." Stef replied, a hint of playful warning in her voice that Callie returned with a bashful smile. "Yeah, don't worry. You don't have to give me a self-worth speech or anything." She anticipated looking out to the expensive houses that surrounded them. This part of town was a different world and it couldn't help but bring the contrast to the forefront of her mind.

"I'm not too sure Mrs Quinn would want her to have me as a role model though." She admitted, flying the first red flag. Stef threw her a side glance, seeing she was giving a half-hearted smile. "I don't think she's my biggest fan."

"Oh I don't know about that." Stef remarked. "I think she liked you just fine, it's Robert she's not the greatest fan of right now." Callie suddenly turned to her with a hint more concern in her face than when she had originally made the comment.

"You don't think I've caused trouble between them do you?" She asked, her eyebrows briefly twitching down.

"Honey." Stef immediately cut her off, patting her hand on her knee. "You really have to start believing us when we say you are not responsible for anybody other than yourself." She turned her head to urge the statement with her eyes, flicking Callie's chin to make sure she was looking. "You are not responsible for Jill and Robert's marriage, and you're definitely not responsible for how you came into existence, got it?" She turned back to looking forward. "Got it?" She repeated, wanting more than the subtle nod that she had only caught with the corner of her eye.

"Yes, got it." Callie clarified before sniffing out another laugh at Stef's trademark persistence. A moment of silence passed before she began again, Stef feeling a tingle of warmth that Callie was getting more confident at leading their conversations.

"Do you think I would have been like Sophia? If I had been raised by Robert, I mean..."

As grateful as Stef had been to receive the question she suddenly realised that the answers would not be as easy to distribute. She took a moment to think it over but could see that Callie was already eagerly awaiting her response.

"Well…I'm not too sure you can think about it like that, love. After all, _Sophia_ wouldn't be like Sophia if you had been raised by Robert." She looked back, biding some time by judging Callie's reaction. "Let's face it who knows what would have happened…whether Sophia would have even been -"

"Oh I know…and Jude, obviously." Callie cut her off, the thoughts moving faster than her patience for the time it would take to resolve them. "But I mean if he'd known about me earlier. Maybe if he'd been around from the beginning…maybe even taken in Jude and me when Mom died. If I'd been raised with all…" her voice dropped as she looked out at the whizzing houses. "Raised in a neighbourhood like this." Stef's face scrunched, suddenly her own insecurities peeking in as she thought of what Robert had said about the college fund, but she quickly shook them off.

"Would you have wanted all this?" She asked plainly as Callie quickly whipped her head back round, a sudden look of guilt swelling through her before stuttering a look out of the window for a moment longer. She compared each of the houses she'd had and the contrast against the one she had just been in. Obviously it was grander and Sophia probably had more in her closet than Callie had owned in her life. She considered it for a second, but that didn't feel right for what was troubling her. It was something deeper she couldn't yet put her finger on. "It's not about money." She admitted, confidently, only processing her own thoughts at the same speed that she was revealing them.

"I guess it's just made me think about what makes me…I dunno, like this." She thought aloud as Stef slowly began to clock what might be going through her busy mind. "Right now it feels like I'm going through a world I didn't have, even though I guess I _could_ have had it…but then what would I be like? What parts would be different...and would that be a good thing?" She winced with a sigh before shaking her head. "Sorry, that makes no sense." Her hand flew up to her nose and she giggled the comment away, but not fast enough for Stef to ignore it. Suddenly a lot of this was now making more sense.

Seeing a sign leading off to the left she made a turn before answering, Callie looking over confused but seeing the smile growing on Stef's face she realised it hadn't been in error. They were stopped and Stef was opening the door.

"Here, let's go for a walk." She patted her knee, knowing their journey would only be for a few more blocks and not wanting to risk having this opportunity cut short.

Both of them got out as Stef waited to grasp Callie around the shoulders and guide her down a gravel path.

"You know why I brought you to this park?" Stef began, with a philosophical air about her words.

Callie looked back blankly, unsure as to where this may be going.

"Uhm…it was on the way home?" She suggested, raising an eyebrow with doubt as Stef looked on wisely, taking a breath.

"It was actually the park where I found out that Frank wasn't my biological father." She answered as Callie's eyes popped before Stef broke into a giggle.

"OK, that's completely a lie." She assured her with a squeeze. "It _was_ just on the way home." She added as Callie shook her head with an eye-roll. "Just trying to lighten the mood a bit."

"With bio dad jokes?" Callie replied unimpressed, but clearly not really offended. "Lena would totally be giving you the look right now." She grumbled as Stef laughed, with a wide mouthed smile.

"She probably would, but don't worry, I do have a life lesson tied in here to keep her happy." She added as Callie eased her a look with a slightly scolding smile of her own.

"I doubt you've ever spared much time to think about little old me and my past, God knows you've had enough to think about." She began, the colourful bounce as present in her voice as ever. "But you're old enough to be able to guess that it wasn't always as perfect as it is now."

"The divorce?" Callie asked, realising that it was true. Other than some heart to hearts with Brandon, she knew very little about Stef's history, or Lena's.

"Yep – and just before. There were some pretty difficult times for me back then. Lots of impossible decisions, lots of denial, lots of guilt…shame, risks – and a lot of bad choices. Looking back, the only decent choice I made was finally leaving it all behind me, I think." Callie caught the wistful look in Stef's face and realised now that the lighthearted segue into the conversation may have been for Stef's benefit rather than hers. She watched as her face quickly lit into a smile shaking off the harder memories she'd needed to address for the setup.

"By then however, I'd met Lena." She continued softly, the angst in her eyes being replaced with love and admiration; the look Callie recognised from whenever she could see Stef sneaking a glance when her wife wasn't looking. The pure elation and value within it induced a small smile across Callie's lips as well.

"Do you not think I always wonder what it could have been like had I met Lena years earlier? Think about how different I'd be? Maybe how happier I'd have been...but then it always heads off thinking about what I would have lost." She rounded off softly, making the link clear in the soft emphasis of her whisper. Callie nodded down slowly, almost instinctively shuffling a little closer to Stef in the process.

"You mean like Brandon?" She asked as Stef drew in a long stream of air through her nose.

"Like Brandon." She confirmed, even though that one was more obvious. "Though, technically, I never would have met Lena if I hadn't had Brandon anyway. I was more meaning traits. Like…I don't know, my resilience, probably. My _appreciation _for what I now have _–_" she added almost firmer than the others, hoping to make Callie think even harder. "It's not weird or stupid to try and think about what makes you _you_ and if that could have been different." She nudged Callie, snatching her pensive gaze from the gravel.

"Though, I'd also believe that there are parts of us that would be there anyway. I mean, I guess it's the age old nature versus nurture, isn't it? Of course I can't recite as many psychological studies on it as Lena could." Stef chuckled in adoration, almost hearing the words that would be coming out of her wife's mouth.

"Would she make it clearer than you are?" Callie smirked a little, scrunching her eyebrows at Stef's vague, but well-intentioned, attempts at philosophy.

"Oh it's like that, is it? Here I am trying to impart my wisdom and you want it to actually be _coherent?"_ she replied with mock offence before hitting a smiling Callie with a gentle wink.

"What I'm trying to say Callie is try not to get caught up on how things could have been or how _you_ may have been and focus on just accepting that you _are_ the way that you are. That and remember to _love_ those things about you. Don't waste your time worrying about if you could have been, I don't know - better at horse riding...or known more digits of pi! If you wouldn't have been able to say _"Oh my God"_ without being reprimanded." She nudged her, poking fun at Jill's straight-laced parenting.

"Yeah, I think that if Jill was my Mom we'd be locking horns a lot more than I ever would with you and Lena." Stef felt a warm buzz with the comment but it was shortlived as Callie's mind cast off again. The safety and security she felt from Stef's cradle was giving her the courage to explore another part of her brain, one that she otherwise would have ignored at risk of it consuming her.

"It really made me think about my Mom, you know." Her words tipped off the edge of her lips as she felt Stef sigh in sympathy, quickly touching her free hand softly to Callie's arm that was tucked next to her chest. "I know that sounds stupid. Of course I was going to think about my Mom..."

"Will you stop calling yourself stupid, please?" Stef gently scolded her with a soft shake. "What kind of things did it make you think about?"

"The star signs." She reminisced, quickly replacing her seriousness with the nostalgia. "I barely think about astrology now, but whenever I was in a bad mood with her she'd always say _"typical cancer" _and every time I wished I could turn it back on her. Finally when I was about 9 I found out that geminis were indecisive or something and one time she couldn't decide what to cook and I muttered _"typical gemini."_ her eyes glazed through a fond laugh looking into the distance, but soon the fond look was replaced with a more sullen one.

"And it looks like Robert is all into that too." She thought aloud. "I mean did that come from her? Or...did he get _her_ into it?" Her tone was now becoming more flustered as the endless questions returned to plague her. "I mean, they were married! He must have been a huge part of her life and I didn't even know that he existed. And that makes me think about all the things I didn't ask her. _Should_ I have asked her? What age are you supposed to take an interest in your parents? I never asked her why she would talk about star signs or about her life before I was born." As Stef saw her becoming overwhelmed, she opted for a change in scenery and drew her over to a nearby bench.

"Sweetheart, I don't think there is a right or wrong time to start taking an interest - and I also think you're forgetting how little you were!" She patted her knee with a gentle smirk. "I mean your siblings are much older than you were then and I'm pretty sure the only person who's ever asked where I was born is Jude." The mentioning of the quirky traits of her inquisitive brother immediately drew a smile from Callie, as Stef had banked on it doing. The calming effect worked as her shoulders dropped down and her face became less troubled.

"And honey you also have to remember that your parents had already made the conscious decision not to tell you about Robert." She reminded her. "You really have to stop trying to feel responsible for not knowing that he existed."

"I know." Callie replied instantly, even though saying it was easier than believing it. Stef could see the turmoil rising up again. "I just wish I could talk to my Mom. Ask her why they kept it from me. I know Donald told me but...there're just so many more questions I want to ask her that I'll never hear the answer to." She dipped her head down, rubbing it with both of her palms, trying to sooth the stirring voices once again.

Stef sighed, tucking Callie's hair back behind her ears as gravity had tried to dangle it down across her eyes.

"Honey, I can't speak for your Mom...but I can speak as _a_ mom." she began, running her hand to her back instead. "The most terrifying thing to face as a parent is losing one of your children. Trust me. It's a thought that haunts you every day, not just for keeping them safe, but the fear someone will take them away from you." She explained as Callie turned her head to look from its hunched position. She could see that although Stef's delivery was confident and secure, it was a place that immediately drew a look of heartache.

"If your Mom thought even for a second that Robert's family could take you away from her..." her voice trailed imagining how terrifying that must have been; the rich and the powerful against a single mother, trying to cope with already having had her husband torn away.

"Well, I think that whether it was the right choice or not I would have done the same." She admitted with a rasp as Callie nodded. It wasn't anything she hadn't considered, but hearing it spelled out was soothing.

"It just makes me wonder how much else I didn't know about her, though, you know?" She moved her hands together in front of her mouth, staring deep into the ground before sitting back up straight against the bench.

"I mean, do you think I can ask Robert about her?" She came out with, almost to Stef's surprise even though it was unlikely it would have ever been the last visit. The recent reflections at the forefront of her mind, she felt a tug on her heart. She may not be a poor single mother, nor did she doubt Robert's intentions with Callie, but she was suddenly overcome with an instinct to scoop her up and keep her as far away from his lawyers as possible. As the thoughts came clattering through, she grounded herself with the look in Callie's eyes and heard Lena's voice reminding her that this wasn't her decision to make. They needed to protect her, but not deprive her - that was, in some ways, the naivety that had led to this anguish in the first place. As Callie's forehead began to crease in line with the lengthening silence, Stef quickly forced a smile and grabbed Callie's hand. "I think that Robert loved your Mom very much and that he would love to talk about her if you wanted him to. Just make sure you feel comfortable and ready - remember there is no rush."

"I know." Callie nodded, easing Stef's heart a little. "I'm not saying I want to go back with a checklist." She lightly scoffed, Stef immediately appreciating the flippancy.

"Sophia invited me horse-riding too." She admitted, the less intimidating notion of her sister making this declaration easier for Stef to handle.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" She replied, opting to keep the conversation light.

"No." Callie laughed. "But wow, you should have seen all of her trophies and ribbons. I thought Brandon was bad!"

"Well that's nature versus nurture right there." Stef chuckled back. "I can promise you he didn't get that commitment from Mike or me." They both smiled fondly as Stef squeezed Callie's hand a little tighter, relieved that the heaviness had waned.

"I did like her though." Callie added with a wince into the sunshine. "I guess I felt kind of connected in a way, like, it felt easy to talk to her. Not as easy as with Jude or the others obviously, but for a complete stranger - I don't know...she didn't feel like a stranger. I liked that."

Stef nodded a few times before stroking Callie's cheek. She could see the difference in comfort; a sibling bond being her familiar safety zone and suddenly her complex doubts were simplified in seeing the first sign of peace in Callie's eyes. Whether she was nervous about Robert's involvement or not, she could see plainly that she wouldn't stop this bond from forming, nor did she really want to. She wanted to keep control, the college fund still made her uneasy and until those papers were signed she knew she wouldn't settle, but ultimately seeing Callie's infatuation dwarfed the legitimacy, and in some way selfishness, of Stef's own insecurities. Their love for Callie would always win out and right now it was clear that exploring this path with her was the best way they could honour that.

Stef caught a glimpse of her watch and her eyes popped out, realising the time.

"I think we need to start heading back." She rubbed a circle around Callie's back before hopping up. "We need to find out if Mama is going to have even more power to keep you guys in check." Her eyes widened towards Callie as she pulled herself up to join her and they began to retrace their path.

"You think we'll be able to get extra perks?" She joked. "She'll be able to pull more strings, right? Bend the rules a bit for us if we get into trouble."

"Ha! Good luck with that." Stef warned playfully with an eyebrow. "She'll be looking for model students to help her shape that ship into working order. Keep you all anchored." A twitch of pride in her mouth at the clever reference.

"Good to know you're stealing ideas from a thirteen year old." Callie teased as Stef laughed, grabbing her arm over Callie again, pulling her into a brief headlock.

"Well he's a wise boy, your brother." Callie smiled, fondly thinking of him. She knew that despite the approval he had given he would have his own questions, but right now her brain was already exhausted and she opted to leave those aside. She did her best to, at least for now, leave her Quinn related worries at the bench that had shrunk away behind them.

"Is he really the only one to ask you where you were born?" She thought back to their earlier conversation.

"Well, one of the others may have asked for a project at some point but I don't remember any of them taking an interest...after all none of you kids really care about little old me, as I said before." She mocked hurt again, letting her voice crack into an exaggerated whimper.

"And where _were_ you born?" Callie indulged her, lazily as Stef's eyebrows raised and she looked back content.

"Alaska, actually. Right up there in one of the indigenous tribal regions." She replied as Callie's eyebrows knitted together skeptically. "Let me guess, your biological father was a tribal chief that your mother had a whirlwind affair with?" She replied deadpan, not going to fall for Stef's mischievous humour twice in one sitting. Her mom stared back with a sparkle in her eye.

"How did you know?" She teased as Callie shook her head.

"I think there's a reason nobody asks you questions about your past."

"What? Being born and bred in San Diego is nowhere near as exciting." Stef growled in defence as they approached the edge of the park, Callie sniffing out another chuckle as Stef retrieved her keys. She took a split second to look at Callie before she found herself engulfed in a hug, one she returned as soon as she processed that it was happening. She could feel Callie clinging on tightly and as the shock subsided, she indulged the warm tingle it sent through her body.

"Thank you for doing all of this." Callie whispered as Stef bit down on her lip and held her daughter back a little tighter. She took a moment to release her hold, neither wanting to let go, nor was she ready to respond yet. As they did pull apart, she met her with a sincere smile and gently caressed Callie's cheek with her thumb.

"You know it doesn't change anything." Callie added, unprompted before Stef could had a chance to talk. She knew that as well as Stef was hiding her feelings, and as much as she had insisted she not worry about them, that they would still be there somewhere and any small gesture would go a long way. It was also clear in her eyes that she wasn't looking for endorsement or encouragement, another subtle tribute that almost made Stef tear up. She grasped Callie's other cheek with her other hand and gently kissed her forehead, the movement saying more than any words she still couldn't find. They clasped into a walking position again as they headed onward. Neither knew exactly where this would go but they were also both determined to take Stef's earlier advice. This was about using this situation to move forward; in Callie's case not spending too much time regretting the past, and in Stef's case not holding back because of fears of the future.

**Would love to know your thoughts/requests if you have time to spare :) Thanks for reading!**


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